001-40 WC 139 NOV-DEC24 PAPERTURN - Flipbook - Page 21
DRINKING WATER
A Perfect Fit
KSB develops a custom pump for
Atwater Montréal pumping station
refurbishment
BY BRYAN ORCHARD
D
ELIVERING POTABLE WATER to the residents,
businesses and industrial sector of Montréal is a massive task. The City’s Water Department operates six
water treatment plants, the largest of which are Atwater and Charles-J.-Des Baillets. The water feeding
the two plants is extracted from the St Lawrence River and
is purified by a combination of filtration, ozonisation, ultraviolet (UV) water treatment and finally chlorination at the
Charles-J.-Des Baillets. From there it is diverted to the Atwater plant for distribution through the City’s network of pipes.
Should it be necessary to shut down either the Charles-J.Des Baillets plant or the Atwater plant, water can be diverted
to and from either plant. This ensures water levels in all
seven reservoirs around the metropolitan area of Montréal
are maintained at optimum capacity. Both production plants
are interconnected via sizable piping, so in the unlikely event
of one plant going down, water can still be supplied to the
reservoirs.
Historical significance
The Atwater drinking water treatment plant site represents
an important part of Montréal’s heritage, this being attributable to its historical, scientific/technical, architectural and
artistic, as well as landscape values. Originally constructed
in 1868 the Atwater plant has undergone many changes, the
first being the construction of the central pumping station in
1923 (Fig.1) and the replacement of the original steam pumps
with electric pumps. Over the past 100 years, the plant has
played a critical role in the development of the city through
its contribution to public safety and health. Considerable
investments have been made by the City of Montréal in order
to increase production capacity and improve overall operating
As an existing pumping station, it was critical to ensure
the dimensions of the equipment to be supplied complied with the building’s dimensions and clearances.
Bryan Orchard is a freelance journalist
who is based in the UK. He has been
reporting on the international pumps and
valves industries for 30 years.
Eumar Landaeta, KSB Pumps Inc.
WAT E R C A N A D A . N E T
WATER C AN ADA • NOV EMBER/ DECEMBER 2024
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